Eruption and caries status of first permanent molars in children aged 6-7 years in Beijing, China

Abstract

Background Dental caries is still a major disease that affect the oral health of people in China. First permanent molars (FPMs) are the most caries-susceptible teeth among school-aged children. The aim of this study was to investigate the eruption and caries status of first permanent molars in children aged 6-7 years in Beijing, China, to provide information for oral health promotion. Methods All 6-7-year-old first grade children from public elementary schools in Shijingshan District, Beijing were invited to receive a clinical oral examination. The eruption status and caries experience of FPMs were recorded. Questionnaires assessing children's sociodemographic information and oral health-related behaviors were completed by the children's parents or guardians. Results A total of 3,176 children, including 1,644 boys (51.8%) and 1,532 girls (48.2%) were included in the oral examination and questionnaire. The eruption rate of FPMs was 65.8%. Within the emerged FPMs, 43.0% of FPMs were partially erupted with no caries and 37.8% of FPMs were fully erupted and sealable. The prevalence of dental caries was 5.5% on FPMs and the mean decayed missing and filled teeth score was 0.11 in the participants. Binary Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that girls had more tooth decay than boys and father’s educational background also associated with the caries experience of the studied children (P<0.05). Conclusions Majority of FPMs were erupted in children aged 6-7 years in Beijing, China, and the prevalence of dental caries in these children was not negligible. Effective intervention should be applied in this age group for oral health promotion.